Cariny Nunez

I visited women’s prisons and detention centers to increase awareness of breast cancer and other chronic diseases. Working in grassroots education allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the value and meaning of public health and the profession. As a woman of color, being able to provide health education to other women of color was more than a job, it was my calling! Now, I work as a Senior Public Health Educator for the Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, developing food safety and consumer public health education campaigns. 

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I am of Puerto Rican descent and grew up with my late grandmother who taught me so much. She ignited my passion for public service as she modeled selfless compassion and dedication to others. She was the kind of person who would offer natural remedies to loved ones to help cure common colds or headaches. She would also offer to watch a neighbor’s kids or give them food when they were hungry. She was not just my motherly figure, but my teacher and modeled positive ideas of care and prevention, which I’ve carried with me throughout my life. I am proud to be her granddaughter, and to have carried her values with me as I pursued and completed my Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH). I am inspired by how her example continues to positively impact how I show up at work. 

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During two critical times in our history, my passion for public service allowed me to support my homeland and country. In 2017, I was deployed to Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria for which I served as a Public Information Officer (PIO). In this role, I helped coordinate community outreach efforts in areas without electricity or internet access. More recently, I was part of the COVID-19 response team in my agency. It was the first time in the history of the agency, where we translated the COVID-19 vaccine information into 27 languages for consumers, which I was proud to lead.

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